Sunday, June 18, 2017

​ ​Pondering the death of the famous Trout Lake big tree; still standing mind you, giant of its kind and now home and food source for countless forms of life. Nothing lasts forever on the material plane, everything is always changing. New trees are born, grow and give their gifts to the world. The old pass away having imparted their wisdom; going henceforth to the afterlife for their full rewards. I wonder what the afterlife is like for trees. All of this physical creation is spirit based just as we humans are. Of this I am certain. Were plants and animals given free agency as well as mankind? Is that the source of evolution?There are those who say they believe in the creation theory which denies the evolution theory. I say the two work hand-in-hand, all was created using the process of evolution. Science is important and valuable in our evolution but it is not the full answer. Religion is important but does not have the full answer. Looking at those together I believe many mysteries can be solved or at least better understood. Humans are only part of this equation we call Earth, and the more we learn it seems the more we don't know for sure.

Wikipedia provides some details regarding this old growth pine:

The Big Tree (also known as the Trout Lake Big Tree) was a massive Ponderosa pine tree in old growth pine and fir forest in southern Washington state, at the southern base of Mount Adams. It is managed by the Mount Adams Ranger District of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The tree is 202 feet (62 m) tall with a diameter of 7 feet (210 cm),and was one of the largest known ponderosa pine trees in the world. It had been stressed by attacks from mountain pine beetles, and its death in 2015 was confirmed the following year.

"A mammoth conifer, the Big Tree contained about 22,000 board feet of lumber — enough wood to frame almost one and a half 2,400-square-foot homes.

Although it was one of the oldest and tallest trees of its kind, and for decades the centerpiece of an interpretive site for travelers headed to Mount Adams, the Big Tree died with little fanfare last year. Jon Nakae, a silviculturist in the Mount Adams Ranger District, wrote it an obituary, but stopped short of publishing it for fear of making light of a particularly sensitive section of local newspapers.

No one from the U.S. Forest Service is quite sure of the tree’s age. The web page devoted to the Big Tree pegged it at about 370, but Nakae thinks it’s likely much older.“It’s probably well over 500 years, gauging by the size,” he said.The most accurate way to know its age would be counting its rings, but Nakae said he doesn’t have a core sampling tool long enough to get all the way through the Big Tree’s trunk. To make matters worse, parts of the tree’s interior are rotten, which hampers counting tree rings. The Forest Service could cut it down to know exactly how old it was, but Forest Service officials said it’s worth more standing.Using those age estimations as bookends, the Big Tree had barely taken root when Martin Luther nailed his “95 Theses” to the door of a Catholic church, thereby launching the Protestant Revolution in 1517. Or maybe it began growing roughly two years after the Ming Dynasty of China came to an end in 1644.It survived an untold number of forest fires and the estimated magnitude 9 Cascadia earthquake of 1700.Much like the Europeans that started colonizing the Eastern United States when the Big Tree sprouted, ponderosa pines are pioneers. They’re among the first vegetation to return after a forest fire because they do well in direct sunlight and prefer dry weather conditions.Ponderosas generally are considered by federal officials and academics to be the most widely distributed pine in North America. They’re typically found in the Intermountain West rather than on the west side of the Cascade Mountains. Ponderosas prefer drier, warmer conditions rather than the humid forests of coastal areas.The Trout Lake area that the Big Tree grew in was probably near the end of the ponderosa’s tolerant range. But the Big Tree may have benefitted from growing relatively close to the coast.“Its location may have been beneficial because it got more moisture than its eastern counterparts,” said Kevin Zobrist, associate professor of forestry at Washington State University.According to the book “Champion Trees of Washington,” published in 1996, the Big Tree was 22 feet around and 213 feet tall, though Nakae said it was 202 feet tall in 2015.The Big Tree wasn’t the biggest known ponderosa alive on Earth, but it might have been the tallest. A ponderosa on the Yakama Indian Reservation, which also recently died, was shorter but considerably stouter and thus the biggest ponderosa in Washington state.At more than 500 years old, nearly 29 feet around and 162 feet tall, the world’s largest known living ponderosa named Big Red sits in Oregon’s La Pine State Park. Its girth made it bigger, but the Big Tree towered over it by about 40 feet."

Sunday, November 22, 2015

When I think on family, the multi-faceted jewel that is the building blockof community, I think first and foremost of my own family, beginning withthe loving parents of us six children; Claude Elias Black and Nina Stevens.My brothers and sister fill my thoughts. I think of great spiritualtreasures given and received, of lessons taught with love, and even ofspecial gifts along the way.

Presents of the purchased sort were scarce, but what comes to mind are themuch treasured special ones such as the red and white flannel nightgowns mommade for Maria and myself one Christmas; the only present we received. I canalmost feel the soft flannel under my fingers..... and it is so full oflove. This is such a fine example of the way they raised us, in simplicity,seldom more than one or two presents for any occasion, often handmade orcarefully selected to be full of meaning and love, often representing asacrifice. Nora remembers the year when there was no money for presents atall, but she was working that year and carefully spent her hard earned moneybuying special presents for her brothers. It may not have been much, but itfollowed the thoughtful, loving example set by our parents.Mom and dad raised us kids with out a TV, and instead of gathering aroundthat we went for walks, learned to cook, created things from found objectsin nature, or went fishing. There was never time to get bored, we never knewwhat that word meant! They would take us on journeys to see family, take usdancing, and even bowling! Their presence was our present. This was theirlegacy.

Actually the bestest present I ever remember was all the days and weeks andyears camping with family; it was the fresh caught fish from the Lewis rivertossed into the skillet upon arriving back at camp to go with the dutch ovenpotatoes, onions, and hamburger and the camp baked dutch oven rolls; it wasthe love that filled our nights and days, the appreciation for the beautiesof all creation; it was the songs from a mothers heart; it was the teachingof a loving father; it was the life lesson learned when the whole hillsideslid down across from the camp when we were adolescents. That was my firstlesson in the impermanence & constant change of the world around us, andalso how in the midst of such massive destruction was the seeds for thebirth of new creation, as we watched new plants & trees begin to grow &reshape that landslide over the next few years! As I grew I learned that istrue for us in our lives as well. Thus were the gifts expanded upon!

These gifts of the spirit were the greatest as one by one we children grewstrong in the love of family. We filled our hearts with sparkly eyes andwaterfalls, with children of many generations and all ages, and with tearsand laughter. Life was a treasure, we were children of God and each one ofus was worth more than gold. Through hard times and fun times we danced andcried together, generation after generation. We came together for funerals,for weddings, and thank goodness we even gather for reunions! Children areborn, grow tall chasing butterflies and picking huckleberries with purplemouths, laughing and arguing together.

Oh sometimes we like to bicker a bit, sometimes judgments fly for mysteriousreasons, but set them all aside and look to see what a beautiful thing thisfamily we have truly is. No one is better or worse than any other, we allhave our strengths and our faults, our blind spots and our wisdom. None ofus can truly judge any other in this family or in this life, for to judge weare hampered by the 2 x 4 in our own eye. Thus were we taught by word and byexample. Look at the beauty of what has come out of this man Claude and thiswoman Nina! Oh what a true treasure finer than all the gold in the world!Multiples of great-grandchildren grace their crowns, and so their robes havebecome royal, and their mantle of love has spread itself over all whom theyclaim as their own. Darlisa BlackJune 13, 2005

Claude and Nina Black

Taken by Darlisa in the mid 1970's

1958 family portrait, I am the baby.

Claude and Nina Black's wedding day, St. George, Utah 1932

Playing in the forest, something we were always doing! Mom and Dad, mid 1970's I think

Dad and my brother Sheldon. I never met him in this life, as he died in a hunting accident at age 20 in Sept. 1956, before I was born.

Christmas 1958. Roger, Dennis, and Boyce

Darlisa, Claude, Nina, Nora, and lil David Kyte

Roger and Grandma Stevens in the 1950's, American Fork, Utah

Grandma and Grandma Stevens

Stevens Family. Nina is the next to youngest, and sitting on her daddy's lap.

Nina as a teenager in southern Utah.

This painting that is in an oval frame was Grandmother Stevens' picture. When she passed away, Mom was pregnant with me at age 45. With one girl and 4 boys already, her siblings told her that if this baby was a girl, she could have this picture that she had always loved, and it would be for the child when she grew up.. Guess what? Yep, I have the picture on my wall.

Thursday, August 27, 2015

I have a special treat this evening, a personal letter written by a firefighter with 12 years of experience packing for a 14 day run of fire camp, packing their heavy pack up on the firelines, and coping with all the wildfires in many places. They have also been camped in many small towns as well. This Firefighter asked to stay anonymous, but asked me to share especially with those who think fire camp looks like a prison or a military camp. #CougarCreekFire #WaWildfire

"I speak on behalf of myself when I say that all firefighters in camp fully understand this job. We all pack our 14 day bags, and expect to be at a camp in the wilderness for two weeks. We prepare for this and do not need laundry services. This is a self sufficient, smooth moving machine that we choose to live in and we take pride in our careers. We eat like kings and queens. Our supply unit carries wet wipes, sunscreen and any other necessity you could think of. We have unlimited access to boxes of various fruits and snacks to supplement our amazing lunches. Today's breakfast consisted of blueberry banana pancakes, sausage patties, eggs, hashbrowns with a bar full of toppings. Not to mention the option of granola, yogurt, cereal, cottage cheese and fruit, fresh fruit, milk, chocolate milk, various juices, teas, coffee, lemonade and iced tea. This is our job. If we accepted all donations that came our way, we would waste an unfathomable amount of time, money and especially food. The outpouring of support for the wildland firefighting community this season is something we don't generally see to this extent. If only the community knew how much we appreciated the offers! PS - we also have mobile laundry services. ;) We are always willing to set up a public tour of camp! It's open!
Additionally, these crews will throw a fit when presented a shift under 16 hours. A majority of these firefighters work seasonally. We make a years worth of money in 3-4 months. And love every minute of it. ;) "
~ anonymous long term firefighter

I want breakfast with them!
I know that everyone really wants to help in some way. Folks in Glenwood are doing their best at making at least some of the FF feel at home and cared for, with homemade cookies and postcards, but most especially with signs and conversations and appreciation, even hugs. The Firefighters were happy this morning thanks to some folks in town that made kind gestures. Locals also spoke of watching a couple Firefighters walking around town this morning picking up trash. That meant a lot to the townsfolk, as did the FF acting as crossing guards for the kids going back to school. It is the conversations, the waves and thank you notes and other encouragements that really make the big difference.
~darlisa

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About Me

All around us there is beauty, Beauty surrounds us... I believe that we can find healing in nature and if we open our spiritual eyes we can find the small moments of beauty unexpectedly in any location.

My given name is Darlisa Black thanks to my wonderful parents... and Starlisa or Star is an old nickname that has become my artist / photographer name and now a business name as well. Frequently there are gallery shows of my work hanging in the Columbia Gorge surrounding White Salmon, Washington, and you can view my photos on flickr with user name StarlisaMy website starlisablackphotography.com has links to my "Purchase Prints" site at smugmug site, but you can also contact me about any image you would like printed large, especially METAL PRINTS, or ask about use on a website or magazine, and I can work with you. In summertime, Trout Lake, WA Saturday Market is a venue with my photography.